Central Australia - Wildlife?

Hi John

I would put my bets on the weather. With recent very good rainfall all through our complete desert systems, you will find that all wildlife will be dispersed over a very large area where there is ample feed will away from where we usually travel. With such good feed over a large area, many species of animals will be solitary as they is no need to compete against other wildlife in a small area.


Let's see what the experts have to say.



Cheers




Stephen

I've driven Sydney to Perth and back in 1987, 1995 and 2006 a only saw a few emus on each trip and that's all, so it's not a new phenomenon. I see plenty of wildlife driving through wooded mountain country though. Nearly hit roos, deer, echidnas, snakes, goanas, goats and wombats in the Vic High Country. Traveling up the centre of the NT I've had to stop for big cattle.

I'm no expert - but I'll offer an opinion. We, too, noticed a major reduction in wildlife in the Territory and the Kimberley, in the last 2 years.
Personally, I believe the last 2 years, of very dry "Wet" seasons in the North, are largely to blame.

Despite some late and unseasonal rains over the June-July period for the last 3 years, the overall rainfall levels during the last 2 "Wet" seasons have been well below average, and rainfall overall has come up well short of average in the total of both those years.
There have been a substantially reduced number of cyclones over the last two cyclone seasons.

The North needs the big rainfall events of the "Wet", and of cyclones, to ensure water supplies remain for extended periods, and between rainfall events, so the native animals can breed up and survive.

Despite what a lot of people think, our native wildlife lives a precarious existence and even just a large crucial waterhole going dry will affect the numbers substantially.

I've seen 'roos by the hundreds lining the road edges at night, between Kalgoorlie and Leonora, in the late 1980's - all lapping up the water in tiny roadside puddles, after a small shower during an extended dry period.
They can go for extended periods without water - but drought will wipe out their numbers rapidly, too - they just simply die of thirst, the same as we do.

Overall, I believe the numbers of native wildlife are down, and I think I'd be pretty right in saying that the impact of Man is playing a big part in this.
We are pushing further and further into the bush with more and more mines, extended exploration, increased amounts of good roads - and all these factors must be combining, to keep the wildlife numbers restrained.

I'm not sure that anyone is keeping track of the amount of roadkill - and the amount is not noticed as much as it used to be - because highway patrols regularly and rapidly remove carcasses that can cause crashes.

I do know it's been a long time since I saw a flock of 600-800 kangaroos since I sighted a flock this big on the Nullarbor during July 1969. I doubt whether I'll ever see a flock that size again.

Cheers, Ron.

We drove across North Qld, thru the Territory & Ayers Rock, to Port Augusta, and back up through Broken Hill, Bourke, Charleville etc after easter this year. Barely saw any animal life in the NT, a little roadkill in SA, more goats than you can poke a stick at in western NSW. The desert was unusually green in the NT. NSW and south-western Qld were pretty dry, but heaps of wildlife.

Hello John

Cant speak on the eastern part of your trip but for central WA the only (native) things you are likely to see (excluding birds) whist driving along the GCR at this time of year are red kangaroos and euros, depending on the nature of the country (and maybe the odd western grey kangaroo in extreme west). There are no wallaby's or wombats in that part of WA.

Red kangaroos are generally in small mobs (say <10 at most) whist euros are generally solitary. Both are crepuscular so chances of seeing them during the day whilst wizzing along the road are lessened. The fact you didn't see any is not totally surprising though you would expect to jag a few, though having said that they are not normally very abundant in desert areas in any event.

Only other things likely are larger goannas (e.g.perentie, sand monitor, yellow spotted monitors) and maybe the odd dragon or snake but at this time of the year it is a bit cool so reptile activity would be well down compared to warmer months.

Don't worry there is plenty of stuff out there (i.e.. heaps of species of small reptiles and a number of smaller mammals (e.g. dunnarts + native rodents). Most you wont see driving along or even when camped up no matter what time of the year without walking around a bit and searching and/or using traps.

Cheers
Greg

Going up the Stuart to Alice Springs in May we say more dead roos than ever before.

OK, if roadkill is cleaned up by road gangs it's no kind of representative sample.

Many of those areas you mentioned, John, are not very 'roo friendly". Think Roos prefer some scrub to camp in during the day, and open plains to graze at night, where they can monitor the approach of any predators. See plenty of emus in open country too. As Greg said there'd be plenty of smaller critters out there.

On our Simpson trip in June, we saw plenty of camel, dog and cat tracks along the tracks, and not many birds of any type. Saw quite a few dingoes, as well as a couple of "freeloaders" at Dalhousie Springs. Even saw a hare early one morning. On our way to Birdsville, we'd have seen at least 12 wedge tail eagles, as well as numerous hawks and plenty of crows.

However, recrossing the Simpson, along the Madigan, we saw numerous birds, though it seemed to be much drier than the lower Simpson.

Bob

My opinion is that "our' concept of exploring is usually limited to roads/tracks/trails and mostly during the day so in reality we are only exploring a well-worn corridor.

We also tend to think predominantly of iconic mammals when thinking of Australian wildlife but of the estimated 200,000 "species" of animals found in Australia, 96% are actually invertebrates! The largest group of invertebrates is the insects, comprising 75% of Australia's known species of animals, so don't discount all those moths, beetles, and bugs! I will never forget a random bush camp we pulled off the side of the Great Eastern Highway between Perth & Kalgoorlie and the whole ground was literally wriggling with the largest bugs I've ever seen - I was truly amazed at the sight and wish I'd taken better photos but this was in the days pre digital cameras and I had a young baby and impending dusk/dinner/camp to contend with. These bugs looked like they were prehistoric - brightly coloured cockroaches the size of a hand!

The bulk of Australia's animals are very small and their survival depends on being well-hidden (particularly from humans). In the outback, you will do well to head out from your camp at night with a spotlight, hunting amongst the spinifex for small nocturnal marsupials. But yes if you're predominantly looking for the larger mammals then their distribution could well be changing due to the impact of man and climate changes.

Have a look at the Atlas of Living Australia - its a wonderful resource that will explain the full picture!
I have wanted to build a wildlife database on ExplorOz similar to our Wildflower section but we aren't experts. It just would be great to offer travellers a spot to post their photos and show where it was seen, and get the correct names. Would be great for reference and interest for people of all ages and backgrounds. One day ....

PS: Do you know that Charles Darwin never saw a kangaroo in Australia?

Gday
I recon its the first lookout cockatoo that squarks is the reason you never see animals. He squarks and lets all the animals know you are coming...and it goes on and on all the way through Australia. If you dont hear that first cockatoo all will be ok.

On our drive from Kilcowera ( SW Qld ) to Birdsville we noticed a complete lack of roos and emus once we passed through the Wild Dog Fence west of Thargomindah. We did not see one roo out there. But back here and inside the fence their numbers are nearly in plague proportions! Just visit us if you want to see a few roos! Cheers, Toni

Every morning the ground was like this. And it wasn't a mouse plague. Just furry native species. By night it was alive.

I drove (daylight hours only) from Yulara to Laverton along the GCR in late October 2014 and only saw ONE Kangaroo in the whole distance.

Came across plenty of camels, and one bustard - but very few lizards.

Overall, I was greatly surprised at the lack of wildlife, I expected a lot more.

Travelled Laverton-Leonora just after dark - and whilst approaching another vehicle at 120kmh with headlights dipped, I whizzed right past a huge black and white bird, that was standing still and upright, straddling the centre double white line!!!

It never moved from its standing position - and it frightened the living hell out of me, as I only just glimpsed it, about half a second before it flew right past my drivers door wing mirror! - missing it by inches!!

I still have no idea what it was!!? I only just got a glimpse of it as it flew past, and it didn't fall into the "immediate recognition" ID of anything I know of, in the Australian bush??

Cheers, Ron.

Interesting observation John.
Shackle and I have just returned from a 6 week trip to Nhullunby ,which included transversing the Gibson Desert and Great Sandy Desert from Marble Bar to Alice travelling the Kiwirrkurra /Gary Junction Roads.
In those 5 days we saw perhaps 3 camels and very little else.
Perhaps the recent excellent rains out there has provided ample feed and there is no necessity for animals to wander along the road/tracks.
What we also noticed was the fantastic grasses that now cover the landscape now cattle are no longer permitted to graze in those remote areas.

Central AustralIs is the Eppie centre of Mammal extinction in Australia we are up to 30 now extinct worst in the world and no there's no coming back they are only species of animals that belonged only in Australia. To save them feral free areas and those few who are fighting ferals,weeds and hot fires to save the rest. I heard someone on the radio the other day say that we should get rid of Roos because goats were paying more that's the mentality it's surprising we haven't had more go missing. We have terrible habits and have a love for exotic pets instead of a real pride for our natives